April 30, 2011 - The results from Saturday's softball action were certainly mixed for the Concordia Cougars. While the Cougars lost 1-0 and 5-4 to sister school Concordia Wisconsin, a split between Marian University and Rockford College meant that the Cougars maintained a one-game lead over Marian for the sixth and final spot for the Northern Athletics Conference tournament with two games left to play.
Game one was a memorable contesty between CUC's Sami DeFord (South Bend, IN/Marian) and CUW's Danielle Burke. The Falcons manufactured a run in the bottom of the first and would make it hold up. Burke was wildly effective, walking five batters but allowing no hits through the first six innings.
Burke retired DeFord on a grounder to second and Caitlin Richards (Chicago, IL/Mother McAuley) on a grounder to short. With just one batter standing in Burke's way of a no-hitter, Corinne Kuhn (Warrenville, IL/Wheaton-Warrenville South) lined a single to center but was out trying to stretch the hit to a double.
In game two, the Cougars scored first as Richards led off the third with a single. She advanced to third as Olivia Hires' (Denver, CO/Bear Creek) dribbler was thrown away by the catcher for a two-base error. Moments later, the Falcons' pitcher uncorked a wild pitch allowing Richards to dash home.
The Falcons tied the game with an unearned run in the fourth before erupting for four runs in the fifth. A two-run triple was the big blow, but the Cougars also committed two key errors in the inning.
The Cougars did not go quietly. Cassie Slechta (Berwyn, IL/Walther Lutheran) singled home a run in the sixth. DeFord then doubled, and Richards drove home Slechta with a ground out to third. In the seventh, Michelle Ciric (DesPlaines, IL/Elk Grove) walked, moved up to second on a grounder and scored on Megan White's (Oak Park, IL/Oak Park-River Forest) two-out single. However, Kuhn was retired for the final out as the Falcons hung on for their second one-run victory of the afternoon.
Concordia (13-20, 11-11 NAC) will host Edgewood College on Monday afternoon at 3:00, and they will know what they must do to lock up a conference tournament berth. Marian plays Alverno on Sunday afternoon, and a combination of Cougar victories and Marian losses totaling two will give Concordia the berth.
